Filed!!!

[Resigned2BK]

Final meeting to get the filing paperwork finalized went well today. Turns out we are easily a no asset Ch 7! Hoorah! And for ValleYum's benefit, turns out he's filing us under federal exemptions. I thought the per item limit really meant that's the max per item (other than expected over value things like cars), but I could see him breaking a few things apart here and there to throw the values under 2 different exemption categories. Pretty interesting to see how that is figured and done I guess.

This afternoon after we got home, I slept for a long time. Even though I knew we should be just fine, that we are too pathetic for trustees to really care to go after us, it still just felt like a big relief to have our attorney tell us that we should have an easily dischargeable case for any assigned trustee. You know how women getting ready to deliver babies can need a doula or birth coach? I feel like we could've used a bankruptcy doula for all this, and this forum has been the closest thing. Thanks for being my bankruptcy doula so far. LOL.

[buffetbuster]

Congrats! You'll be discharged before you know it.

[ValleYum]

Yay! I am so darn happy for you! Congrats on filing and your first step towards your Fresh Start!

I am glad the federal exemptions could work for you!

[Resigned2BK]

Me too! My one lingering irritation was that as poor as we are, we might still technically be an asset case by a $1000 or so in this case, maybe around $5K if the tax refund was grabbed. Very good to know that won't be an issue at all.

Our atty thinks we'll be discharged in March. That seems awfully soon, but hey, I'll take it!

[ValleYum]

But paying 1k (if you have to) is sure worth it to be free of all the other debt and stress!!! It would likely be the best 1k you ever spent!

Do you have your 341 date yet??

[Resigned2BK]

But paying 1k (if you have to) is sure worth it to be free of all the other debt and stress!!! It would likely be the best 1k you ever spent!

Do you have your 341 date yet??

Oh I agree, definitely, but you know, it's salt in the wounds given we get food stamps each month. How many times does a family like mine need to be kicked when we're already down? Plus part of it is that it'd be money coming from one of the last investments I own, basically money my parents gave me to NOT spend, and this bankruptcy is pretty much almost all DH's fault (I own that I didn't stop some of the business spending madness a lot sooner, but I had no debt when we met and had worked my butt off a few years before that to get myself out of debt dollar for dollar).

We don't have a 341 date yet. We haven't heard that it is actually filed, but he says he files everything electronically and we left his office around noon, so I figure it must've been today (Tues). I'm sure he or his paralegal will be giving us the date through email pretty soon.

[emmabail]

Really a good thing for you that you are free from all.Congrats and best of luck for getting a new start.

[ValleYum]

Oh I agree, definitely, but you know, it's salt in the wounds given we get food stamps each month. How many times does a family like mine need to be kicked when we're already down? Plus part of it is that it'd be money coming from one of the last investments I own, basically money my parents gave me to NOT spend, and this bankruptcy is pretty much almost all DH's fault (I own that I didn't stop some of the business spending madness a lot sooner, but I had no debt when we met and had worked my butt off a few years before that to get myself out of debt dollar for dollar).

We don't have a 341 date yet. We haven't heard that it is actually filed, but he says he files everything electronically and we left his office around noon, so I figure it must've been today (Tues). I'm sure he or his paralegal will be giving us the date through email pretty soon.

Oh, I get that salt in the wounds thing totally - I truly do. Hopefully *fingers crossed* the amount will seem too small for the Trustee to concern himself with. We will think positively!!

I LOVED the first calls after we filed and giving out our case # to the collections folks who called. It was such a nice feeling to have the phone STOP ringing with only collections and when it did ring it was actually someone I wanted to talk to.

Do your folks know y'all had to file? That was hard for me - telling my parents - but they were WONDERFUL and supportive about it. I was happily surprised.

Hang in there lady - you are gonna be fine! {{{Hugs}}}

[Resigned2BK]

We told DH's parents over a year ago. They've been great about it. I didn't tell mine until November and I didn't want to have to tell them because they have this nasty tendency to get sarcastic or whatever at me when I tell them some bad news about something in my life. And I most likely never would've had to tell them at all and deal with potential condemnation if we'd filed last Spring. But after the 3rd time a collector on the one account I had in serious default called them (and I've never even lived in the state where they live now!) with the FDCPA violating answering machine messages, I just decided what the heck and went ahead and told them including everything else bad like the government assistance for years and going to the food bank for awhile and such. And they seemed very surprisingly good about it. Then I realized a month later at Christmas time that my mom had told my brother, my uncle, and my aunt. I almost told my brother way before my parents and probably still would've because he's a good forgiving soul but there was no reason whatsoever to tell my aunt and uncle. It's not like I was trying to borrow money from anyone in the family. It's just personal... or should've been. In contrast, DH's parents have not told his aunt and uncle about this nor any other extended family and they let DH tell his brother.

And part of the kicker of that is my parents are so downright secretive about finances discussions to the point of serious paranoia at times. Yet apparently that doesn't extend to their daughter's financial mishaps. So everyone knows, and meanwhile now when I call, supposedly they are all praying for me. Eh, I'll take the prayers, extra positive energy is nice.

We are definitely looking forward to getting the case number so we can tell the creeps who call that we just filed, here's the case number, here's the name and number for the attorney. That will be downright fun. And it will be wonderful to know that when the phone rings, it's probably someone we do want or need to talk to.

One of the really nice things about being destitute is being able to get rid of door-to-door and phone salesmen very easily. All I have to do is say, "We can't afford that, we're on food stamps." or "No sense in checking our roof because we're going to be going through foreclosure." and the current "We just filed for bankruptcy so there's no point in continuing your pitch." LOL. The sales guys usually just look very apologetic, say they are sorry for us and shuffle off.

[Diesel73L]

We told DH's parents over a year ago. They've been great about it. I didn't tell mine until November and I didn't want to have to tell them because they have this nasty tendency to get sarcastic or whatever at me when I tell them some bad news about something in my life. And I most likely never would've had to tell them at all and deal with potential condemnation if we'd filed last Spring. But after the 3rd time a collector on the one account I had in serious default called them (and I've never even lived in the state where they live now!) with the FDCPA violating answering machine messages, I just decided what the heck and went ahead and told them including everything else bad like the government assistance for years and going to the food bank for awhile and such. And they seemed very surprisingly good about it. Then I realized a month later at Christmas time that my mom had told my brother, my uncle, and my aunt. I almost told my brother way before my parents and probably still would've because he's a good forgiving soul but there was no reason whatsoever to tell my aunt and uncle. It's not like I was trying to borrow money from anyone in the family. It's just personal... or should've been. In contrast, DH's parents have not told his aunt and uncle about this nor any other extended family and they let DH tell his brother.

I get the whole thing about family being difficult. Luckily my in-laws have been-there-done-that so no shame there. My parents on the other hand will likely take it hard. I don't think they'll be upset at us, but rather they'll be upset for us, and probably scared, etc...because I'm willing to bet that their heads are full of the same myths about BK that ours were until I found this site and got the Nolo book. I thought BK would put us out on the street with nothing more than the clothes on our backs-boy were we wrong. My parents I'm sure will think the same thing-at least initially. Like you, we'll be a straight no-asset CH7 since we have no equity in our home and nothing that exemptions won't more than cover. Good luck!

[IamOld]

Best of good luck resigned - hey a good night's (or afternoon's) sleep is golden!

[Resigned2BK]

We have a case number now and 341 date. Yeah! DH is so funny, he made up a card of sorts with the case number and atty info to use when collectors call if they call us.

I can't seem to find any info about our trustee except just the basic stuff about where his law office is, when he was admitted to the bar, that sort of thing. I'd love to know if we're going in to see a bad ass or if he's an ok trustee. Oh well.

[tsfranci]

We have a case number now and 341 date. Yeah! DH is so funny, he made up a card of sorts with the case number and atty info to use when collectors call if they call us.

I can't seem to find any info about our trustee except just the basic stuff about where his law office is, when he was admitted to the bar, that sort of thing. I'd love to know if we're going in to see a bad ass or if he's an ok trustee. Oh well.

I wouldn't worry too much about your creditors calling you. I was really worried about collection calls when we filed and all we got was two calls total and the creditors were very understanding and even wished us luck in our bk.

[ValleYum]

We have a case number now and 341 date. Yeah! DH is so funny, he made up a card of sorts with the case number and atty info to use when collectors call if they call us.

I can't seem to find any info about our trustee except just the basic stuff about where his law office is, when he was admitted to the bar, that sort of thing. I'd love to know if we're going in to see a bad ass or if he's an ok trustee. Oh well.

I know about the ones here in SW Washington but I don't think you live this way for some reason. I wanna say you live near the Emerald City ;-)

My folks were concerned *for* us. They are happy that we are happy. Hubby's folks passed away before we got married - so no worries there.

[Resigned2BK]

I know about the ones here in SW Washington but I don't think you live this way for some reason. I wanna say you live near the Emerald City ;-)

My folks were concerned *for* us. They are happy that we are happy. Hubby's folks passed away before we got married - so no worries there.

Yep, near the Emerald City. It does often feel like I've traveled to an alternate fantasy land when I moved out here from the Midwest.

We're having minor issues with our atty's paralegal right now. She seems to not be very clear what she means by needing certain financial statements that we know we've already given her -- IF we take her at her word in the emails. And we thought we were on autopilot at this point. Ugh. She even messed up the place. The engagement letter says Tacoma, the official looking document says Seattle and according to DH she's not super firm about it being Seattle. Aye yi yi. I saw on the trustee website that there are meeting places on the 4th and 7th floors for the Seattle courthouse, so even that might be messed up. Gotta love corn-fused people.